20 Recommended Golf Courses to Play This Winter

By: Kieran Clark | Fri 07 Feb 2025

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If you're hoping to dust off the golf clubs and give them an outing before the winter is over, then you need to know which courses are most suitable to offer the best possible experience.

The cold and wet weather can take a toll on many layouts, but there are some that for a variety of reasons can deliver a product that makes it worthwhile to make the effort and venture out and play.

Studying the Golfshake Course Section and its many thousands of reviews submitted during the winter months, we have unearthed another collection of venues that other golfers recommend to you for this time of the year.

Why not see if there's one near you and take the opportunity to discover what it has to offer for yourself?!

Boyce Hill Golf & Country Club

Location: South Benfleet, Essex

Golfshake Rating: 4.53

2024/2025 Winter Rating: 4.21

Review Comment: "This is a lovely course. The tee boxes are in great condition, fairways were in good form and the greens were true and fast! The practice putting green was immaculate. Showing great signs for the course to come. The course was the best kept course I've played all year and worthy of a visit. The condition is down to a small army working on the course. Repairing divots, cutting the fairways, etc. It is a true credit to the staff and the pride they take in their work."

The Shire London

Location: Barnet, Hertfordshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.23

2024/2025 Winter Rating: 4.21

Review Comment: "Venue and staff are nice and relaxed, course beautiful, greens and fairways just perfect. The course is not long off the blues, but does demand accuracy as there is water everywhere, and you can score well on the numerous par 5s and 3s. Can't wait to go back!"

Stratford Park Golf Club

Location: Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.21

2024/2025 Winter Rating: 4.21

Review Comment: "Always enjoyable, the course is a good test and is great value for money. The greens were a little slower than normal but other than that the course was in impeccable condition."

East Brighton Golf Club

Location: Brighton, East Sussex

Golfshake Rating: 4.06

2024/2025 Winter Rating: 4.21

Review Comment: "Views to die for. Superb course, unreal location, greens in great condition and just very well maintained all over. Very welcoming and friendly."

Frinton Golf Club

Location: Frinton on Sea, Essex

Golfshake Rating: 4.06

2024/2025 Winter Rating: 4.21

Review Comment: "Nice links course. Green and fairways in good condition and a pleasant 'leaf-free' way to play golf in October. Would definitely recommend."

Pennard Golf Club

Location: Swansea, West Glamorgan

Golfshake Rating: 4.85

2024/2025 Winter Rating: 4.20

Review Comment: "Wonderful layout and a challenge in blustery conditions. Don't expect pristine fairways, but you get a true links challenge. Greens and tee boxes are very good."

Ogbourne Downs Golf Club

Location: Marlborough, Wiltshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.41

2024/2025 Winter Rating: 4.20

Review Comment: "Ogbourne is always in great condition in spite of any weather. Greens very true. Doing some work on a couple of tees to further improve. Windiest I've ever played it today, so a big challenge. Good breakfast service!"

Drayton Park Golf Club

Location: Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.09

2024/2025 Winter Rating: 4.20

Review Comment: "Lovely course with great facilities and really friendly staff! Will definitely be returning."

Lingdale Golf Club

Location: Loughborough, Leicestershire

Golfshake Rating: 4.07

2024/2025 Winter Rating: 4.20

Review Comment: "A lovely but hilly course set in a very picturesque part of the county. Front 9 fairly flat but still tricky holes with plenty of established trees to contend with. The back 9 is far more hilly with more quirky holes but nevertheless very enjoyable. The clubhouse and staff were welcoming and the catering was excellent. All in all a great visit and happy to recommend and revisit."

Ombersley Golf Club

Location: Droitwich, Worcestershire

Golfshake Rating: 4.23

2024/2025 Winter Rating: 4.19

Review Comment: "A lovely parkland course to play which provides challenges for golfers at all levels."

Royston Golf Club

Location: Royston, Hertfordshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.17

2024/2025 Winter Rating: 4.19

Review Comment: "Hilly course with punitive wispy rough that you think it would be easy to find balls in but isn't. Played after days of rain, however course dry due to hills and chalk base. Greens very fast. Busy, so relatively slow. Friendly staff and members."

Pedham Place Golf Centre

Location: Swanley, Kent

Golfshake Rating: 4.06

2024/2025 Winter Rating: 4.17

Review Comment: "With tales of waterlogged courses all around the area, Pedham is open and playable. Fairways are wet but ok. Greens are still excellent. It's an excellent setup with all the practice areas you could wish for. Putting green, chipping green. Bunker area. Range with Top Tracer. Add to that some really good grub and what's not to like."

Stoke by Nayland Golf Club

Location: Colchester, Essex

Golfshake Rating: 4.23

2024/2025 Winter Rating: 4.15

Review Comment: "Both courses are kept well. Both courses have their own challenges. Having drink and snack stops halfway round was very pleasant."

Woodlands Golf & Country Club

Location: Bristol, Gloucestershire

Golfshake Rating: 4.17

2024/2025 Winter Rating: 4.15

Review Comment: "A rare gem of a course. We weren't sure what to expect here, only because the prices were so very reasonable. What a fantastic surprise. The fairways were brilliant. The greens no doubt started each day as extremely good but courtesy of the selfish few who don't repair pitch marks there was a fair bit of pitch damage. That said, the greens remained true and better/as good as many far more expensive local courses. We would throughly recommend these courses as great to play and incredibly good value."

Cranham Golf Course

Location: Upminster, Essex

Golfshake Rating: 4.15

2024/2025 Winter Rating: 4.15

Review Comment: "The course was in almost perfect condition, the greens had been spiked but still ran true. The fairways were dry as this course has excellent drainage."

Kingswood Golf Club

Location: Tadworth, Surrey

Golfshake Rating: 4.04

2024/2025 Winter Rating: 4.14

Review Comment: "Front 9 is tight and packed with bunkers so accuracy off the tee is key. Back 9 starts to open up and is arguably more scenic and interesting. Played after heavy rainfall and the course was boggy in places but generally playable, with a couple of temporary greens. Clubhouse and facilities were of a high standard and will look forward to returning in better conditions."

Etchinghill Golf Club

Location: Folkestone, Kent

Golfshake Rating: 4.01

2024/2025 Winter Rating: 4.14

Review Comment: "Beautiful layout and conditions on a rolling hill golf course. Tricky sloping greens, must stay below the pins. Beautiful view of the Kent countryside."

Farleigh Golf Club

Location: Selsdon, Surrey

Golfshake Rating: 4.13

2024/2025 Winter Rating: 4.13

Review Comment: "Played yesterday and the course was in excellent condition, especially for this time of year. The fairways were cut and well maintained and the greens cut and running true!"

Cambridge Meridian Golf Club

Location: Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

Golfshake Rating: 4.03

2024/2025 Winter Rating: 4.12

Review Comment: "Great challenging course which is well maintained. Most greens are sloping so being able to read a putt is a must. A must play if you get the chance."